Eid Al Adha 2025 holidays announced for UAE public sector employees

Workers in the public sector will enjoy a four-day holiday for Eid Al Adha next week.

The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources

The four-day holiday will begin on Thursday, June 5, and end on Sunday, June 8, with work resuming on Monday, June 9.

Eid Al Adha will begin on Friday, June 6, authorities said on Tuesday evening.

The announcement came after the UAE's moon-sighting committee observed the crescent moon, which heralds Dhu Al Hijja, the 12th and final month in the Islamic calendar, on Tuesday evening.

It means Dhu Al Hijja will begin on Wednesday, allowing for the start dates of Hajj, which falls on the eighth day of the month, and Eid Al Adha, which starts on its 10th day, to be determined.

The Hajj pilgrimage is to begin on Wednesday, June 4, with Arafat Day, the second day of the week-long Hajj pilgrimage, marked on Thursday, June 5.

This means that a four-day holiday weekend for workers in the public sector in the Emirates will start on Thursday, June 5.

The Eid Al Adha holiday for private sector employees is expected to be announced in the coming days by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

The UAE typically allocates the same number of public holiday dates during the year to both federal government and private company staff.

What is Eid Al Adha?

Eid Al Adha – which means “festival of the sacrifice” – is the latter of the two Eid holidays celebrated across the Arab world, coming after Eid Al Fitr.

Eid Al Adha commemorate how the Prophet Ibrahim was asked by God in a dream to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as a test of his faith.

As with other religious holidays in the Emirates, it is a time for friends and family to gather, often over meals, and reflect on their lives and faith.

It is customary for families who have the means to slaughter a goat or sheep and share the meat with relatives and the less privileged.

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